October 25, 1899

Black Diamond. 

It was early in the morning when I woke up and headed over to the saloon. I felt great and wanted to get a head start on the day. It felt as if a thousand weights had been lifted after such a good start to our focus as Pinkerton detectives an I couldn’t wait to see where the day would take us. 

Meg stood in front of the saloon and I greeted her and told her about opening our office in town. She was thrilled to hear it and we talked about what the job entailed as Claire and Emmett walked over to us. 

“Claire, Emmett! So good to see you again!” I exclaimed as Meg nodded to the pair and backed up cautiously. 

“Greetings,” Claire curtsied with a small smile. 

“Miss Meg, This is Mr. Emmett and his wife, Claire,” I introduced. 

Meg blinked and whispered to me, “You know them?” 

“They are newcomers to the area,” I nodded. 

“Glad to see you again, Miss Trin,” Claire smiled warmly. 

“I just wish we had met under better circumstances,” I smiled. 

“Good morning,” Meg stammered but I could tell something wasn’t right. 

“Are you alright, Meg?” I looked at her. 

“Ever since the attack upon Thad by those traveling strangers ... I just ... I just get a bit um, apprehensive is all pardon me,” she admitted. 

“It’s alright, Meg... They’re friendly folk,” I assured her. 

“It’s understandable,” Emmet said then. 

“Thank ya,” Meg smiled bashfully and murmured. 

“You folks find a place to settle?” I looked between them. 

Claire cradled her stomach and then excused herself, running over to the side of the building where she gave in to the nausea that was overcoming her. 

“We did. Place over in Pearce.” 

“S’pose you’re getting used to that by now, eh? She feeling okay with the baby other than getting sick?” I nodded over in the direction of his wife. 

“Oh? She is with child?” Meg asked and I nodded to her. 

“She’ll be fine... and yes, I’ve gotten used to it.” 

“Let me get her some water,” Meg said and went into the saloon where she retrieved the glass. 

Claire returned then and stood next to her husband. “Pardon me, I do apologize. I’ve been drinking that tea Lil gave me, but only seems to prolong the morning sickness.” 

“It’s alright, Claire. You have a perfectly reasonable excuse,” I smiled at her as Meg came out and gave her a glass of water. 

Meg made a scowling face and said, “How dreadful! Makes me almost happy to be single and an ol’ maid!” 

I chuckled and said, “Yes, Alex and I have talked about marriage but we tend to like things the way they are.”

“I can’t imagine vomiting as often as that!” Meg shook her head, frowning. 

Claire sipped the water slowly and looked at Meg. “Thank you vary much”

“You are most welcome, you poor woman. I pray you peace and good health.” 

“Emmett and I have been married three years now. Wed two months after my sixteenth birthday,” Claire told us. 

“And is it worth it? To be married?” I asked Claire. 

“And this is your first child ma’am? I presume?” Meg asked. 

“I think so,” Claire nodded. “I have my best friend, my partner, and my dearest love with me, for ever. It removed some of the fears of loosing him, and yes this is our first.” 

“Whatever made ya decide to have a baby put inside ya?” Meg shuddered and I chuckled at the question. She blinked at me and said, “Whell! it rahlly doesn’t seem the most pleasant as you lose your waist line your bosom hurts and swells you don’t fit any of ones wardrobe including shoes as feet swell also and even vomit daily!”

“It wasn’t a decision we made lightly. Talked it over, discussed it for some time... but in the end Emmett and I believed having a family and settlin’ came to be a great idea.” 

“Hmph, a nightmare if ya ask me,” Meg replied and I chuckled again. “I wish you the very best.” 

“Thank you,” Emmet smiled. 

“I already know that I cannot have children with my weak heart... It’s never really been something that I desire though,” I said then. 

“One couldn’t settle with another without all that?” Meg tilted her head to Claire. 

“I’ve found a way to,” I winked at her. 

“We are from very Christian families. One does not lie with another unless married,” Claire explained. 

“Indeed, yes you have, Trin. A lucky lady in fact!” Meg exclaimed. 

“Alex and I do not lie with one another, but we are best friends and live together and he protects me. I would not have it any other way. We’ve built a trust between us.”

“Well yes to be wed is one thing but to have ones body become such a submitted host to a babe!” Meg shook her head. “No thank you!” 

“And how do you think you came to be Meg?” Claire asked. “If some of us woman did not have babies then we would all get old and die.” 

“Why I was delivered by the mighty stork of course!” Meg informed us. 

“Storks don’t carry babies,” Claire shook her head. 

“And some of us women cannot, so we have other purposes in life and are just as happy,” I smiled. 

“Same as both my sisters,” Meg nodded to Claire. “Uh huh, they sure do.” 

“Aye,” Claire nodded. “My mother died having my little brother. Eleven kids and dies on my brother.” 

“I admire those that have the strength to have their own children though. I will hold them and then give them back to their mother to change and feed,” I winked and Emmett chuckled at that. 

“My mama says they have that big bill and the swaddling fits remarkably in it the angels fasten the infants inside and the dear Lord whispers the family that the stork is to light to.”  Claire put a hand to her forehead and just looked at Meg with shock as she said defiantly, “They do so!” 

“Well, here comes my man now,” I smiled widely as Alex walked over to us. 

“Mornin’ folks,” he tipped his hat to the others as I hugged him tightly. “Morning, Babe,” he greeted me. 

“We were just debating the values of getting married,” I told him and he chuckled. 

“Not so much matrimony but um pregnancy,” Meg said. “Poor Mr. Claire here was speechless. Smart fella that he is I suppose.”

“Well yes, that too... I told them about my weak heart and how I can’t have children, but I’ve found a way to be happy with my man,” I chuckled. 

“Ah yes, always an interesting subject,” Alex smiled. 

“Alex, dear, I have some things I want to go over with you regarding our current case, if you want to join me in our office?” I looked at him. 

“Sure,” he nodded. 

“Excuse us folks,” I smiled to the others and we headed upstairs to our office. When we made it to the desks area I pulled him close and kissed him. “Good morning, partner.”

He smiled and kissed me back, “Good morning.” 

I walked over to the cabinets and reached for the notes on Cym/Kaly and retrieved the folder, handing it to Alex. “Take a read. Especially the last conversation.”

Alex took the pages and sat down at his desk. I went to sit at my desk and leaned back, waiting for his reaction. He looked up at me and smiled. “You know this is going to take me a long time to read.” 

“Just read the last conversation then... You know all the stuff before,” I chuckled. 

I heard Bill and April talking downstairs through the open window and smiled. “Sounds like Bill and April are coming up to check out our office. I sent him a telegram that they should come see it,” I told Alex. He nodded as he continued to read. When Bill and April walked upstairs I greeted them. “Hello there, you two! Welcome to our office.” 

“Hello April and Bill, nice to see you both,” Alex looked up from his papers.

“Hi Trin. Your office is very nice,” April smiled. 

“Why thank you, we’ve worked hard on it. It feels great to be back in business again.” “I’m very pleased with it,” Alex smiled. 

“This is great folks,” Bill nodded. 

“You like it, Bill?” I asked. 

“You bet Detective.” 

“April, I’ve given Alex a badge and hired him on as my partner. We’re officially both detectives now!” I winked at Alex. 

“I’m expecting great things from you both,” Bill grinned. 

“We’ve got one case going, the main one about Kaly and Cym. Otherwise... We’re waiting for more cases. I looked through my notes and realized that I have already closed seventeen cases since my start back in May,” I smiled proudly. “James is also consulting with us about how to make trial cases stronger.”

“That is awesome, Trin,” April said. 

“Mhmm it really is. How are you both doing? Anything new and exciting with you folks?”

“Got to practice for tomorrow with Pet and Meg.” 

“Practice for what?” 

“The Ladies’ tea. Meg and I are the women in Wyatt’s life.” 

“Oh.. Hopefully it will be less eventful than the last one,” I winked. 

“I am his wife, she is mistress,” April laughed. 

“Sounds like fun,” I chuckled. 

“Got to go,” April hugged me and then headed outside. 

“Well folks, there’s a meeting to prepare for,” Bill said then. We said goodbye and he headed out of the office. 

When we were alone again Alex said, “So... I’ve read part of the case file yo gave me.” 

“Okay...” I nodded. “The sheriff constantly brought up confidentiality but I presume he meant within this office.”

“I will keep it to myself,” he nodded. 

“I figured you would,” I winked. 

He picked up the notes and continued to read. Eventually he put the notes down on his desk and looked at me. “Done reading?” 

“All of it? Already?” I winked. “What do you think?” 

“Well, the last part anyway. It’ll take me a few days to read all of it,” he chuckled. 

“Mostly things you know already before yesterday,” I said and he nodded. “Quite revealing though, hmm?”

“It is. Also good to see you and the sheriff are on good working terms again.”

“Yes, it is. It’s also nice to know we were investigating down the same path for the most part. I almost fell off my chair when I saw that picture of Gigi. It really is a small world,” I shook my head. 

“I bet,” he chuckled. 

“I’m very relieved to hear that our other mayor is not involved in this as well.”

“Yes, that would have been odd.”

“Now we just have to find out if this Ringo fellow is still alive. Shall we take a walk, dear?”

“Sounds like a good idea,” he held out his hand. We locked up the case files and then headed down to the street. 

I wondered if we should go wander around the mines and see what we could discover so we got directions from Bree and then headed that way. On the way we talked to Libby and then carried on. We walked around the mines and saw nothing spectacular about them, other than that they were small and easy to navigate through.

Tombstone. 

We went to the office in Tombstone and put up a mailbox for people to write notes if they needed our assistance in any investigations. We then walked out into the street and saw Jen and Skyla. I hugged Jen and we talked with her about her son Casper and then decided to head back to Diamond. 

Black Diamond. 

Later this morning I took a nap and then went out into the streets and saw Alex talking with Thad and a young boy who they introduced as Nightwolf, his grandson. Thad told us that Lucas was Nightwolf’s father and the boy wandered around adventurously while we talked. Bree and James came to join us and we chatted about the boy and then Alex and I decided to head home.